Monthly Prompt Challenge: March
by Wolfsbane10.14.10
Summary: This is a collection of unrelated one-shots in answer to NeonDomino's 2016 Monthly Prompt List Challenge. Characters/genre/rating will vary between chapters. Specifics will be stated at the beginning of each chapter. Rated M - please note, there will be EXPLICIT CONTENT! As always, Read, Review, and Enjoy!
1. A Pirate's Lady

**Another month, another setting of challenges!**

 **This "story" will be a series of unrelated chapters in answer to** **NeonDomino's 2016 Monthly Prompt List Challenge: February. It is a continuation of my effort to combat writer's block and explore new territory. I'm definitely venturing outside my comfort zone - please note, this one is rated M for a reason (though that doesn't happen in this chapter)!**

 **At the beginning of each chapter, I will list the prompt and the pairing/characters, genre, and rating I used to answer it. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, these will be [short] one-shots that I have no intention of pursuing into a full-fledged story. If a chapter strikes your fancy and ignites an idea in you that you want to pursue into a story, just let me know and I will happily let you take these half-formed ideas and run with them (just let me know so I can later stalk your story if you decide to post it!).**

 **So for the first challenge:**

 **[Quote] "You cheated!" / "Pirate!" - William Turner / Captain Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Caribbean**

 **Characters: Lily Evans and James Potter**

 **Genre: Romance/humor**

 **Rating: T**

* * *

 **A Pirate's Lady**

"Be careful, my lady."

 _Careful, she says_. The lady in question refrained from rolling her eyes by the slimmest of margins. Her maid would not appreciate the gesture. They were strolling through the middle of the slums. The warning was hardly necessary. It wasn't as though she'd never come by this way before. Never in such an elaborate gown, of course. She'd never dared to proclaim her wealth in the slums before.

"Lady Evans, did you hear me?"

"Of course I heard you." Lily snapped without looking at her maid. "Relax, Leanna. We'll be on the dock and to my father's ship soon enough. Just don't make eye contact." Lily was keeping her emerald eyes pointed straight down the street. Her chin was held high and her back ramrod straight. Her steps were firm and even. Full of pride and arrogance.

Even in broad daylight, people littered the streets in drunken comas. Women dressed provocatively leaned against doorways and windows sending alluring smiles to anyone who dared to look. A musk of booze, sweat, and something indefinable yet distinctly unpleasant lay over the streets. Her nose twitched against it, but Lily wasn't going to make an outward sign of her distaste. Best to simply get to the docks quickly and be out to sea before the King got wind of their flight.

"What's a pretty little lady like you doing out on streets like these?" The voice was low and full of dangerous promise. The arm he snaked around her waist, strong and firm. Lily's breath caught in her throat as she landed against his hard chest.

"Release me." She hissed, hitting his shoulder.

"Not until you tell me why you're wandering around down here wearing _that_." He hauled her into the alley, ignoring her struggles. "Come on, babe." Lily stomped on his foot. He released her, cursing vividly. She fled—or at least tried to.

His hand fastened on her skirt, tearing half of it from the bodice. She yelped, flushing. But the man wasn't looking. His arm was around her again, and he drug her further into the alley.

" _Let go of me!_ "

"Not just yet." There was a makeshift bed at the end of the alley. He swept her legs out from under her, dropping her on the pile of blankets. "Don't get your knickers in a wad, Evans." He covered her, hazel eyes dancing.

"Don't be crude, Potter." She snapped, smacking his shoulder again. "You ruined my dress."

"I told you not to come down here dressed like this."

"My father's ship sails within the hour." Lily growled, squirming to be free.

"And that's supposed to give me incentive to let you leave?" His gaze was darkening, and she stilled, heart stuttering.

"James, you know I have to leave."

"Not necessarily." His lips whispered across hers as he spoke. Heat chased across her body, and it was much too easy to allow her muscles to loosen. She was pliable beneath his hands, responding to his kiss despite her better judgment.

She remembered the first time she'd run into him. She'd run away from her father's house dressed in the worst rags she could find—still worlds better than what most people wore down in the slums. She'd come across Captain James Potter early in the night. Except then, she hadn't known he was a pirate Captain. He was simply James, and she hadn't cared for his profession. He hadn't asked after her life, accepting that she was his equal without question. His words were crass, but she gave as good as she got. They'd run around almost all night, getting into all sorts of mischief. Ending in much the same way they were now, except it had been in a real bed in his inn. She'd snuck away when he was sleeping, never intending on seeing him again.

But she had seen him again. Several times. Though it had taken nearly a year of cat and mouse before he'd followed her back to her father's house and seen her in the light of day. Captain James Potter took it in stride, going as far as to "kidnap" her. She'd spent a total of a day and a half aboard his ship, the Marauder, before the navy caught up to him. He'd tossed her off in a little boat to be picked up rather than engage in a fight. She hadn't seen him since that day.

But now his hands were inching the remains of her skirt up to her hips, and Lily was second-guessing their actions. Her father was out of favor with the King. Her entire family was fleeing into exile, and here she was about to bed an infamous pirate Captain. Again. She growled into his mouth, pushing him back and twisting away.

"Stop it, James."

"Lily." She shivered despite herself as he nuzzled the hollow of her throat.

"I said stop." Lily threw him completely off this time, scrambling to her feet. She bolted without pausing to look back. If she looked at him, she'd never leave. Lily ran for the mouth of the alley, shoving past the people at the front of it.

"Oh, no you don't." One of them caught her wrist, wrenching her back.

"Black." She spat, recognizing the first mate. Actually, now that she'd paused, she recognized them all. His crew stood around her, caging her in.

"Leaving so soon, princess?" The pirate smirked at her.

"Yes." She said flatly.

"I don't think so." Remus Lupin, second mate, stood behind her. "Cap's impossible to deal with when he's pinning for you."

"So we're taking you with us."

"You're kidnapping me?" Lily's voice spiked with outrage.

"Well…" Black blinked thoughtfully, a smirk beginning to dance on his lips.

"Lady Lily Evans!" A voice shouted from outside the crowd of pirates. Guards on horseback approached. "You are under arrest!"

"And what did _you_ do?" Lupin laughed, taking her elbow. "Fetch the Captain, boys. Looks like this will be fun."

" _Freeze!_ " The guard shouted. Lily whirled around with Potter's crew and fled with them. Lupin, she trusted. _He_ would not hurt her. So she ran on his heels, ducking through narrow side streets and ignoring the guard behind them.

The Maraduer was crawling with activity when they reached it, and James Potter was at the helm, shouting merrily into the chaos. Sails were unfurling and supplies were being thrown onto the deck rather haphazardly. She, Lupin, and Black were the last up the gangplank before it was whisked from the dock. The ship slid smoothly out into open water, much faster than many were able to. But Potter, at least, was a wizard. It was magic that got them into open water so quickly.

Lily raced to the back of the ship, watching the port grow farther and farther away. From the look of things, pursuit was not imminent. Another ship was casting out, but it wasn't a war vessel. A smaller ship meant to take a fleeing family to safety. Her father's boat had been docked right next to the Marauder. Or perhaps the fault was James'. She scowled.

"Welcome back, Evans." He said from behind her.

"You cheated." She growled, spinning around to face him.

"Pirate." James reminded her with a crooked smile. Lily rolled her eyes pointedly. "Are you going to make me let you go again?" He wondered. "I generally don't loot women."

"I'll give you a medal."

"Come on, Evans."

"Tell you what." She jumped back onto the deck, stumbling only a little. "You explain how _your_ noble ass ended up turning to piracy, and maybe I'll stay."

"You know?" His hand jumped to his hair self-consciously.

"Potter." She shrugged loosely. "A very wealthy name in the magical community. Muggles won't have the first clue, but I recognized the name as soon as you told me. You _were_ only a few years ahead of me in Hogwarts, you know."

"I what?"

"I didn't even put it together until I realized what you called your ship. Then I remembered your gang and the stupid pranks and—"

"You went to Hogwarts?" Potter said blankly.

"Yes." She nodded. "I was scrawny, wore glasses, and generally tried to make myself unnoticeable."

"You little piece of shit."

"I—" He took two steps, grabbed her elbows, and slanted his mouth across hers. Stealing her defense.

"I love you." James said, daring her to defy him.

"I love you, too." Lily murmured, running a finger across the stubble on his jaw. "I can stay, right?"

"Finally." He drug her close, ignoring the sudden catcalls from his crew. Lily grinned into his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. There were worse things than a bit of honest piracy.


	2. Passion

**[Restriction] No character names**

 **Characters: whoever you want them to be**

 **Genre: Erotic**

 **Rating: M**

 **AN: EXPLICIT CONTENT - don't like it, don't read it :)**

 **Definitely the first time I've shared something like this. Not the first time I've written explicit content, but have always felt weird about posting. But this was a little piece that I had stored in my computer. Originally written with characters from my own original story in mind; however, the lack of names gives it the variance to work for any pairing. Don't have a specific HP character pair in mind, so I'll leave that to your fantasies.**

* * *

 **Passion**

She wasn't quite sure how it happened. One minute she was just staring at him, and the next it was all kissing and grabbing and feeling. Heated half-moans, suddenly loosened clothes; mouths open, tongues entwining. His shirt was hanging open. Hers was on the floor. Her hands ranked through his hair; his traversed across her back and hips like he couldn't get enough of her fast enough.

Her back slammed against the wall; her legs were already wrapped around his waist. His hands were in hers, holding her arms over her head and pinning to the wall. His rock-hard body pressed into hers, supporting her as their lips danced an intricate tango that was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

Her hands were back in his hair until he dumped her on the bed. Their mouths separated for the first time as he drug the pants from her legs. She was naked beneath him; legs spread automatically. He caught one of them, kissing and licking flesh at the inside of her ankle she never knew was so sensitive. Her body flushed with unexpected anticipation as heat pooled in her abdomen. Sex hadn't felt like this in too long.

He ducked quickly, closing his mouth over liquid heat at the apex of her thighs. She gasped in surprise, trying and failing to wiggle away from his kisses. Heat burned through her body as she tugged on his hair.

"S-stop." Her voice was ragged, unusually so. He groaned, moving up her body to find her lips again. He kissed her insistently, tongue dancing across hers. Fingers probed her intimately, and she whimpered quietly. "Stop."

"Why?" He put his mouth by her ear, voice deep and husky with arousal. It made her shiver. No amount of tugging on his wrist would get him to move his hand from between her legs. "I used to do this all the time." Arousal shivered over her, and she mewed quietly as his fingers curled deliciously inside her. "Your beau afraid to get dirty?" Maybe it was the way he said it; maybe it was his tongue tracing the shell of her ear; maybe it was the wonderful way in which he was stroking her; maybe it was the words themselves; but her eyes fluttered shut on their own accord and all her protests died on her tongue.

He gave a brief suck to her nipple, teasing the sensitive flesh, before returning to his original purpose. Tongue replaced fingers, and a breathy moan escaped her. She couldn't ever remember feeling like this before. Her hips rolled into his tongue as soft-spoken encouragement fell from her lips without conscious knowledge. " _Yes_." She moaned. "Fuck, ooh." Heat spread across every inch of her body, originating from where his lips and tongue were playing.

It was too much. Too much and not nearly enough all at the same time. "Don't fight it." He breathed against her, adding heat to an already out of control fire. He licked her twice, playfully, before delving back deeper. She was gone. Whatever was happening to her didn't have a name. He was holding her hips in place, keeping his mouth locked over her; but the rest of her thrashed as she subconsciously fought the wonderful sensations he was inspiring. Heat abruptly turned to flame, and her eyes popped open as a gasp tore from her throat, only to get lodged there seconds later as she lost the ability to produce a sound. Her eyes squeezed shut as her body seized and shuddered in sweet release. _Orgasm._ How long had it been since a man took her over that edge? Long enough for her to forget what it felt like.

He spent a long minute lingering between her legs, drinking the essence her body had to offer; before he slithered up her body, laying soft sweet kisses across her stomach and chest before finding her lips again. His kisses were no longer rushed. He teased her mouth with gentle, coaxing interest. She responded, opening herself to him, yielding to whatever he wanted from her body.

But he was not going to content himself with submission. She squeaked as he rolled them, and had a moment of fear as she wondered what to do now that she was the one perched over his naked hips. But he drew her down to him, still kissing her with the same sweet passion until she forgot trepidation and again shivered with that uncontrollable flame of heat. It drove her to lower herself over him, driving solid arousal into hot pleasure. She threw her head back, forgetting rules about "proper" bedroom encounters. She rolled her hips into him, gasping when he thrust up to meet her. Her back arched with pleasure, and she trusted him to guide her hips as she kneaded her own breasts and moaned his name.

It was too much and not enough at the same time. She dropped her hands to his shoulders, bracing herself to thrust harder. She wanted him deeper. His hips rose, bucking into her.

Not enough. He rolled them over again, every inch pressed against her. She moaned loudly, head digging back into the pillow as her hips rose to meet his every thrust. Her blood sang in her veins. Her toes curled as she fluttered around his length. She wrapped her legs tightly around him as his lips and teeth found her neck, sucking and nipping.

"Cum for me." She gasped, too far gone in pleasure to be coordinated as she nipped at his ear. His groan went straight between her legs, making her seize in his arms as orgasm shuddered over her. He wasn't long in following her over the edge, digging his hips into hers as she milked him for every drop. For a long moment, they stayed there, bound tightly in each other.

She didn't know where they would go from here. All she knew was that there was no going back.


	3. The Darkest Day

**Prompt:** **[Restriction] No using the word 'said'**

 **Characters: Lily Evans, James Potter, Sirius Black**

 **Genre: Angst/family**

 **Rated: T**

 **AN: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ MY STORY "CHASING FIRE", THIS MIGHT NOT MAKE MUCH SENSE!  
**

 **For a while, I've been toying with the idea of creating a series of one-shots from other perspectives on things that occurred in Chasing Fire since I have limited that story to Lily's perspective. This is the first, and I make no promises on delivering more but if there's the rare person holding out hope, your hope may not totally be in vain!**

 **This comes from Chapter 40 - Prophecy and is written in Sirius' perspective. I wouldn't say there's a drastic amount that's "new" information compared to Lily's knowledge in Chasing Fire, just wanted to explore what was happening in Sirius' head at that moment a little further than what I did when originally writing the chapter. There are a handful of minor dialogue changes just to keep up with the challenge, but otherwise conforms to the script of Chasing Fire.  
**

* * *

 **The Darkest Day**

"Morning Padfoot." James greeted cheerfully, strolling into the kitchen.

"Prongs." He grunted without looking up from the paper. Sirius had been up for an hour, well-used to Harry's early mornings. Of course, the little bugger had slept in, leaving Sirius to pad around the house on his own. But that had given him exactly enough time to see the owl arrive. He hadn't touched it, but his attention was locked on the deceptively simple envelope addressed to James and Lily. Dumbledore's script was unmistakable. He waited impatiently for James to notice it.

"What's this?"

"Letter."

"Obviously." James snorted. Sirius watched him over the top of the Prophet as he tore it open and skimmed it. James' mouth pressed into a thin line. "Bastard."

"What's it about?" Sirius asked as casually as he could.

"He wants to meet with us."

"About what?" He couldn't quite hold back accusation.

"Doesn't say." Prongs shrugged, looking up from the letter. "Will you watch Harry for us?"

"You can't be serious!"

"Come on, mate." James made a face at him. "Lily's not that unreasonable. She'll be fine with you watching him."

"You can't go!"

"It's just a simple—"

" _Don't!_ " He shouted, much louder than he'd intended. But Sirius abruptly had terrible visions of Lily and James agreeing to Dumbledore's hair-brained schemes. What would become of Harry if his parents were in St. Mungo's every other day? "Are you really going to risk Lily getting it in her head to go back out on missions?" Sirius demanded, working hard to keep his voice from soaring again.

"Maybe I will instead!" James threatened, whirling around.

" _Absolutely not!_ " So much for not shouting.

"There's nothing wrong with meeting him, Padfoot." He snapped. "And it's a conversation Lily and I need to have anyway. Might as well figure out what she's thinking."

"You're bloody well insane, Prongs!"

"Will you stop shouting?" James paused only briefly to shoot a glare at him. "I was only joking about missions, Padfoot."

"You're a father now, damn it!"

"You think I don't know that?" James snapped. "I'm not going to agree to a damn thing he says. It's a letter, not a bloody promise."

"You can't go back out!" He couldn't lower his voice. Fear made his blood run to ice in his veins. Lily wouldn't be smart enough to refuse. She'd call it duty, and then where would Harry be? "You—"

"Merlin, Padfoot, would you stop shouting?" James snapped impatiently. "It's a bloody letter."

"And you know damn well what he's going to ask you if you show up!"

"It's not your decision to make on our behalf."

"Well someone has to knock decent sense into your thick head, Prongs." Sirius snarled, furious that he wasn't listening.

"Padfoot, for the last time, _shove off._ It's not your decision to make. You've made your opinion perfectly clear, and you don't need to keep shouting about it."

"But—" James ducked into the nursery, slamming the door in his face. Sirius narrowly missed ramming right into the door. Noise from the other side abruptly cut off. His hands clenched into fists as he glowered at the nursery door. _This is going to end badly._

Sirius wrenched around to stomp back downstairs. He went back to his place in the kitchen, listening intently for either one of them. They wouldn't leave until Harry was situated. Probably. Surely they weren't stupid enough to think to take Harry with them to Hogwarts!

"What were you shouting about?" Remus wondered as he strolled into the kitchen, bag over his shoulder.

"They're being stupid." Sirius muttered petulantly.

"Finally talking about going back out in the field?" He arched an eyebrow, lifting a banana from the counter.

"Dumbledore sent a letter."

"Bastard."

"Look who's talking." Sirius growled, though Remus simply shrugged with a crooked grin.

"I won't be home tonight." He left the kitchen, and Sirius didn't trust himself to speak. _Are you ever home anymore?_ He wanted to say. He wondered and worried about how much time Remus was spending around other werewolves. _Would_ his opinions be swayed?

Remus was gone for less than two minutes before footsteps came down the stairs. Sirius shook off thoughts of Remus spying and focused on the more pressing issue at hand. He wasn't surprised to see Lily come into the kitchen, determination glinting in her eyes. Of course James would send her in for the battle.

"You're an idiot." Sirius snapped without preamble.

"I know." She agreed, much to his surprise. "But that's not the point right now. James and I will refuse to take missions if that's what he wants."

"Oh really?" He wouldn't believe that for a second.

"Black."

"You're the same girl that lied for four months in order to go on missions." He reminded her coolly, feeling that the color leaving her cheeks was enough justification for his attitude. Lily, at least, remembered her own track record. "I'm not buying your bullshit, Evans. Prongs might be stupid enough to believe you, but I know better."

"Three months ago, I would have agreed with you." Lily allowed, leaning against the counter. "But that was before I had Harry."

"You had him then, too."

"It felt different. Maybe that means I'm not a good mother, but it took giving birth to him for me to really understand." _Bitch._ "I won't lose him, Sirius. I would do anything to protect him, and right now that means being here."

"Pretty words." He sneered, glowering. "But we've been careful not to talk about the war in front of you and James. You're bus _y_ off in la-la land in the glow of new motherhood. You haven't _really_ thought about the war and all the people scared and dying since Harry was born. I know you haven't."

"Dumbledore's missions are suicide." Lily snapped, scowling. "In six months, we might consider going out on Order missions, Black, and there is nothing you can do to stop us. But I will not allow Dumbledore to dictate our missions anymore. We ended up in St. Mungo's more often than not thanks to him, and I won't risk my life like that. Not with Harry."

"Prongs came plenty close to dying—" He started to remind her, wondering if she even knew how close it had come. He doubted James had given her the whole story. He'd certainly edited the information he'd given to the Order! Though perhaps they wouldn't care that Severus Snape had fired the curse that killed Dearborn—a curse meant for James.

"I know." Lily was saying, forcing him to stay on track. Preventing him from what James made him swear not to tell. "We talked about that. I won't orphan my son, Sirius."

"Doing anything with the Order puts you at risk for just that." He argued, wishing she would just listen to him for once. "Everything is at one remove for you, Lily, even if you don't realize it. All you're thinking about is Harry, becau _se_ you haven't been out of Godric's Hollow since he was born. It's not pretty out there, and once you remember that, your tune will change!"

"Then you're going to have to accept the fact that I'm a grown woman and have every right to do what I think is best." She shot a cold glare at him. Sirius was strongly reminded of fifth year when she'd hexed his hair off after a particularly bad prank. "I'm not a child, Black, and I don't take orders from you. I've been plenty tolerant of you being in our lives, but this is where I draw the line. You can have your opinions, but ultimately the decision is for James and I to make. I will do my best by Harry, and right now that means refusing to fight for the Order no matter how much it feels like betrayal. Harry comes first. Period."

It took every bit of his willpower to not shout at her. He wasn't trying to give her orders. He was only trying to protect Harry. Having Lily and James home was best for their son. Couldn't she see that? _Was_ she seeing it? Sirius wanted to simply believe her claim that she was going to put Harry first, but she had withheld her pregnancy for _months_ before coming clean to James. Hell, he'd noticed her showing before she admitted it. He just hadn't thought to wonder at possible pregnancy at the time.

"Is Remus home?" Lily demanded, spinning on her heel.

"I don't know." Sirius bit out. "Why?"

"Because I need something responsible to watch over Harry while James and I are gone." Fury bit at him, and Sirius rose to follow her.

"I am perfectly capable of watching Harry." He hissed.

"You've made it clear that you don't want us leaving." She snapped. "And as such, I assume you wouldn't watch Harry for us."

"Damn it, Lily!" His voice broke, and she spun around, eyes wide. Sirius hated himself for exposing weakness, but he couldn't help it. She _had_ to see that protecting Harry was all that mattered. "I'm not being unreasonable!"

"You're not listening to what we're saying." Lily sighed, impatience coloring her words. "We will refuse missions right now, Sirius. But we don't know what Dumbledore actually wants. It's not unreasonable for us to meet with him. I'd be perfectly happy leaving Harry here with you if you'll stop throwing a tantrum about the possibility of James and I remembering that we're still in the middle of a war." She paused, eyeing him. "Will you watch Harry for us?"

"Of course."

"Thank you." Lily stepped around him to go back up the stairs. He could just imagine the kind of celebration she and James would be having up there. Thwarting his attempts to instill better sense into them. Sirius growled under his breath, dragging his hands through his hair. If only he'd been on a mission today! A quick glance in Remus' room showed that he'd already left.

"No missions." He heard Lily say as she and James came down the stairs. Harry was cradled in her arms. "Let's just hope it's that simple."

"Is it ever that simple?" Sirius grumbled, analyzing the way Lily was holding her son. Perhaps she did actually understand. "This is Dumbledore after all."

"We'll let you know what he says when we get back." James promised.

"Are you sure you're okay watching Harry?" Lily asked, sudden worry in her voice.

"I've done it plenty before, Lils." Sirius reminded her impatiently, taking Harry from her arms before she could protest. _First she yells at me_. He wanted to complain. _Then she doesn't want to leave!_

"It's different than us just going to the market, though."

"First she wants to leave." He grumbled, unable to help himself. Harry smiled up at him. "Then she doesn't want to. Women, I tell you, mate." He carried Harry over to the couch.

"Let's just go."

"Don't burn the house down, Black." Lily growled, eyes on him and Harry.

"Don't agree to anything Dumbledore says." Sirius retorted lightly.

"Only if you don't burn the house down." She took a handful of floo powder and threw it in the fire before he could respond. "Dumbledore's office!"

"I'll keep her in line." James promised before following after his wife.

"Sure you will, Prongs." Sirius rolled his eyes at the empty fireplace. "Merlin, Harry, your parents will be the death of me." Harry was such a combination of the two of them. Sirius' heart squeezed—it always did when he had a moment alone with Harry. He settled on the floor with his godson, summoning two of his favorite toys. Lily was hesitant about the amount of magic she did around Harry. Perhaps that was the muggle influence. Sirius was shameless when it came to magic.

He charmed the toys to fight, enjoying Harry's giggles. "Oh no, Slytherin have taken the quaffle! Whatever is Gryffindor to do?" He was absorbed in the game, heedless of the passing time until the fireplace light with green. Lily tumbled out, eyes wild and holding hardly any sanity. Her face was marked with tears and soot from the fire clung to her cheeks. The smile dropped from his face immediately.

"Give me my son." Lily hissed, drawing out her wand in one slow motion. Sirius went very still, not fighting as she snatched Harry from his lap. For a few heartbeats, he was afraid of her; of what she might do to him. But she did nothing more than draw Harry tight to her chest and whirl away from him.

"What's going on?" Sirius cried, scrambling to his feet. Lily sprinted for the nursery, ignoring him entirely. The fireplace was completely devoid of James. Where was he? Worried, Sirius ran up the stairs. "Lily? _Lily!_ " The nursery door was shut and locked. Undoubtedly, she'd sealed it with charms. "Lily? Is everything okay?" He pounded on the door despite her charms. "What did Dumbledore say? Lily, this isn't funny!"

Silence was his only answer. Dead silence that indicated she'd either gone out the window or she'd placed silencing charms over the room. Most likely the latter. Sirius bit his lip, looking over his shoulder. Where was James? His heart pounded with worry and he knocked again on the door.

"Lily, please tell me what's going on!"

Still silence. Sirius shifted nervously in place before going to the top of the stairs. Was James back? What bloody happened in Dumbledore's office? Was James hurt? Did they fight? He went back to the nursery door, banging on it again.

" _Lily!_ "

Nothing. He resorted to trying to magic the door open, to hell with the consequences. None of his tricks worked, but was that even a bad thing? What would she do if he succeeded? Stun him? Kill him? He'd never seen such a look on her face before. He was cold with terror.

Sirius went to knock again. This time, much to his surprise, the door swung open. He froze on the threshold, looking automatically to the rocking chair. It was empty, and so was the window ledge—Lily's two favorite places to sit with Harry. He had to look around the room twice before he found them. Lily was half-hidden between the dresser and the wall, Harry held tightly in her arms. Sirius stepped into the room very cautiously, wary of her temper. Afraid of what she might do if startled. He shut the door as quietly as he could before crossing the room carefully.

"What did Dumbledore say?"

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born to those who have thrice defied him at the end of July." Lily started, voice ragged. The words made no sense. "He will have power the Dark Lord knows not and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."

"What?" His brain refused to comprehend her words, to attach meaning to phrases that sounded so dark. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It's a prophecy." She mumbled, looking down at Harry with all of hell in her eyes. Heartbreak was written over every inch of her body.

"No." He blurted, half falling. "That's impossible. They can't…" She shot such a wounded look at him that it hurt to even speak. "You can't… Harry? He's just a baby!" She nodded wordlessly, chin quivering. "Where's James?"

"With Dumbledore. Arguing. I couldn't… I just…"

"It can't be Harry." His voice cracked from desperation. " _It can't be._ Surely with all the things you two did, you've run across that bastard more than three times!" She shook her head wordlessly, tears falling from her eyes. "It can't be Harry!"

"It could be Neville." Lily whispered, her words making bile rise in the back of his throat. "Frank and Alice, they'd done what James and I have. Born the same day. The prophecy didn't give a name."

"So it's not Harry?" Dare he even hope it wasn't Harry? He wished it with fervor that was utterly sickening. Let it be Neville who was damned to such a cold fate—an infant to vanquish the worst wizard of all time! _Neville_ was not his godchild.

"We don't know." Lily shrugged jerkily. "Voldemort is supposed to choose one of them. Mark him. There was a line about that, too. He will mark him as his equal."

"Harry's a baby." Sirius protested. "He's hardly two months old!"

"You think I don't know that?" Lily's voice shattered, and he winced. _Open mouth, insert foot._

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry." Sirius ran both hands through his hair, ashen. "I'm sorry."

"I don't know what to do." She moaned, curling tighter around Harry. "We have to… We have to go into hiding, James and I. The Fidelius Charm. That's what Dumbledore thought, at least."

"That means trusting someone." Sirius frowned, mind spinning immediately. Who was trustworthy enough? There wasn't a soul in this world who would provide them adequate protection. "To be Secret Keeper. You can't trust Dumbledore. He's stretched too thin, and old Voldy's not going to back down from him anymore. That's what Moody was saying, at least."

"That's what James was shouting about when I left. Dumbledore assumed, but James wouldn't have it. Told him it was you or bust."

"You who?" Sirius muttered, too distracted to realize what she was saying. _I have to get out there. Hunt down that bastard and kill him before he can get to Harry._

"You." Lily repeated, breaking into his frantic thoughts.

"You— _me?_ " Sirius gasped, mouth falling open. _Me?!_

"Is that so unreasonable?" Trust overflowed in her eyes when she looked at him. This morning's argument was utterly forgotten in the face of this new horror. Petty arguments aside, there was no one she trusted more except James. The realization was unfathomable. "You wouldn't betray us in a million years, Sirius." For the life of him, Sirius couldn't find a word to say. He stared at her, jaw unhinged. She trusted him. Lily _trusted_ him! She was willing to place her life—not only _her_ life, but that of her son as well!—in his hands! He couldn't even begin to wrap his brain around the depth of her trust. Hadn't she ever been told the story of how he'd betrayed Moony?

"Lily?" James' shout echoed through the house, and he was at her side in short order. "Merlin, don't do that do me."

"Where were—shit, James, what happened?"

"Nothing. Why are you in the corner?"

"I'm scared, but that isn't nothing! What happened?"

"Moody and I had a mild disagreement. It's fine. Is he okay?"

"Mad at me for interrupting his fun. Oblivious. Where'd my wand go?"

"I'm fine, Lily."

"Let a mother worry, won't you? Sit. And hold him."

"Give a man a minute."

For a moment, they were quiet. Sirius stared at them, at the people he'd chosen as his family. At the love that bound them together. It was overwhelming and heartbreaking to see them wrapped around each other, holding and supporting each other with Harry in the middle. He would die to protect that love. To protect the ones that meant most to him.

"If you bleed in my hair, I will hurt you."

"Fine. What'd you do to Sirius?"

"Told him."

"And the part where Dumbledore warned us not to trust anyone?"

Dumbledore told them not to confide in anyone? She hadn't mentioned any bit of secrecy, though of course, no one could know! But then, she'd told him with almost no hesitation at all.

 _Trust. Implicit trust._

"If he's going to be Secret Keeper, then he deserves to know why." Lily snapped. "Besides, I trust him and you'd have told him anyway."

"Didn't realize you were on board with the plan." James didn't look away from his wife, but his words were still a punch in the gut. Sirius could see it as easily as the desk in the corner. James wouldn't hesitate for a minute in trusting him. The depth of their combined trust was enough to bring tears to his eyes. _I'm not cut out for this!_

"What else can we do?"

"I don't know. I don't want to hide. It's not like Divination is an exact art. She could have been wrong."

"He could choose Neville." There it was again. That reminder. The sickening hope that it might just be Frank's son. What kind of monster was he to wish this hell on an infant child? "Neville's pureblood. Maybe he'll think… I don't even know."

"I don't even know if I want it to be Neville. I mean, I do, because I don't want it to be Harry; but… Neville's no older or wiser or better prepared or… He's still a baby."

"Can we not debate that?" Sirius croaked, pressing his hands to his face. His stomach rolled over. "I think I might be sick thinking about it."

"You and me both." Lily moaned. For a long minute after, none of them spoke. What was there to say? The impossibility of the situation was gut-wrenching and terrible. Terrifying. Harry was in grave danger. That's all that mattered. Protecting Harry.

Two sets of footsteps thumped their way up the stairs. Sirius lunged to his feet, rushing to meet the enemy without stopping to think. Frank and Alice Longbottom were halfway up the stairs when he reached the top. Sirius leveled his wand at them anyway, hardening his heart to the agony and tears on Alice's face. She clutched Neville to her chest in a way that was eerily similar to the way Lily held Harry. _Doesn't matter. Still not your godson._

"It's just us!" Frank Longbottom blurted, voice ragged with emotion and alarm.

"Third year. The dungbomb incident." Sirius spat, unwilling to take anything at face value.

"I still claim ignorance to any bit of that. Filch is a mad hatter." The right counter phrase.

"Alright." Sirius lowered his wand with effort that hurt. What the fuck where they doing here anyway? He wanted to cast them both out on their asses. But he led them back to the nursery, figuring that Lily would be mad if he did. James was tense, sizing them up while trying to look like he wasn't. He gripped his wand tightly.

"We figured it was safer here." Frank muttered by way of explanation. "Until the spell's in place."

"How so?"

"Guard dog." Frank nodded to him, and Sirius did his best not to glower. "At least you have a Secret Keeper who legitimately cares about you."

"You assume they'd pick me instead of Dumbledore?" Lead weight gathered in his stomach. Oh this was very bad.

"Obviously." Frank glanced at Lily and James. "Didn't you?"

"Of course." James answered.

"But that's bad." Sirius protested. "If people assume it's me, then they'll know who to come after. It's not a secret at all."

"They may not think we'd use the Charm." Frank shrugged. "I doubt the Death Eaters even know it exists."

"Yeah, but we do!" Panic made it hard to think. "As soon as the Order knows you've gone into hiding, they'll know you used the Fidelius Charm to protect yourselves. And our spy will know. We still don't know who the bugger is!"

"Shit."

"And you get on me for language." Sirius grumbled, unable to help himself. But now was certainly not the time for humor. He regretted his words immediately.

"You're right. They'll come after you first." Frank sighed, looking worried.

"I won't trust Dumbledore." James snapped, gaze flinty. Lily nodded her agreement. Again, their absolute trust threatened to derail him—send him into hysterics—but now was not the time for such things. Their faith in him was a liability. He could see that now.

"It's dangerous for you to trust me, because people will be expecting that." Sirius told them, pacing circles around the nursery. He couldn't stand to be still. "What you need is someone they won't suspect. So they'll come after me, and that's fine. I'll run rings around them and meanwhile, I'll have nothing to give." _But who?_ Who could he trust with the lives of the three people he loved most?

"But who?" Lily echoed his thoughts.

"Remus would be next best, but—" Sirius cut himself off with a glare for Frank and Alice. Even if they knew the truth about Remus, Sirius wasn't going to just blurt it out. Damn his furry problem! "What about Peter?"

"No way." Alice protested. "They'll go right down the line like you just did, and they'll go after him, too! Peter's trustworthy enough, I'll grant you that; but he can't fight. He's as good as a sitting duck!"

"I'll protect him." Sirius dismissed Peter's inadequacies immediately. Wormtail had a stouter heart than anyone knew. _And_ he practically worshiped James. "He'll go in hiding too, except no one will really know because he's rarely around anyway. He hasn't done a mission in months!"

"Peter?" Lily muttered dubiously.

"He won't betray us." James shared his confidence. "But it is risky, Padfoot."

"All of this is risky." Sirius spat. "You have a psychopath coming after your son! He'll come after me to get to you, and damn it, Prongs—"

"Anyone can be broken." Lily whispered, unaware that both he and James blanched at the reminder. _Poor girl._ "I should know. And you should know that's what they'll do to you. Even if you're not our Secret Keeper."

"I don't care." He hissed, willing to do whatever it took to see them safe. It wasn't like he hadn't ever been tortured before. Better he be broken than Lily or James. Far better him than Harry! "I'm not taking this lightly, either." He added, just to appease the scowl Lily shot at him. "It's hell. I was raised in it, and I saw what it did to you. But I will do whatever it takes to keep Harry safe. Know that."

"I do know." Lily murmured. "That's what worries me."

"Woman..."

"Don't let them catch you and think you're playing the game on them." She fixed him with a stern look, interrupting his plans to do just that. "If they're busy trying to break you, then they won't be looking for Peter. I see the play you're making, Sirius."

"That's not…" He made a noise of pure frustration, hissing under his breath words that neither child should hear. Damn her intuition sometimes! "I'm not making a sacrifice play here, Lily. I just want you to be safe! If they know to come after me, then do something unexpected. I'll run and dodge and have them busy running circles to catch me. But Merlin, I don't want to be caught!"

"Let's not make a hasty decision." James interrupted. "He's not coming for us tonight. And even if he does, Moody will have us surrounded by now."

"What exactly did you say to him?" Lily demanded. "Please tell me you didn't—"

Sirius tuned them out. What did it matter how much anyone knew? He stared at Lily and James. Was it worth the risk to have Peter as their Secret Keeper? _They'll come after you, boy._ Sirius drug his hands through his hair. What was best? Running circles around Death Eaters or hiding in a ditch praying not to be found? _If you're not the Secret Keeper, then maybe you can get a chance at Voldemort. Maybe you can end this and prove divination to be as stupid as you think it is._ Sirius stared at Harry, determined that his godson would know his parents' love, even if Harry never knew him. He nodded to himself. It would have to be Peter. It would be too risky to go hunting Voldemort if he were in charge of the secret.

Neville's abrupt cries brought his attention back to the nursery. No one seemed to notice the direction of his thoughts. All to the better, in his mind.

"I... I n-need to n-nurse him." Alice stuttered, looking very near to tears.

"You girls stay in here with the babies." Frank whispered, hell in his eyes. "We'll set up a watch downstairs."

Sirius kept his eyes on Frank Longbottom, forcing the man to be the first from the room. Lily could overcome Alice in a duel. He knew it in his bones. She and Harry would be safe in here without him and James. He made to follow Frank, pegging the man—his friend—as the enemy in this moment. But a glance back showed that James hadn't moved an inch. If it were Harry needing fed, then he'd have shielded Lily for privacy, but he wouldn't have left. James was a better father and husband than Frank Longbottom, Sirius decided abruptly.

"Prongs." Sirius prompted, only because Alice was frozen in the rocking chair and Frank was staring at him expectantly in the hallway. Reluctantly, James pulled away from his wife. Sirius found he had to look away from the intimacy of their embrace.

 _I will see Harry safe._ He promised silently, trading glances with James as he pulled the nursery door shut. _I will if it's the last thing I do._


	4. Thoughtless

**Prompt: [Title] Thoughtless**

 **Characters: Lily Evans and James Potter**

 **Genre: Romance**

 **Rating: T (maybe M for language? Mild cursing, I suppose)**

 **AN: Pretty self-explanatory Jily fluff ...for anyone offended by the soft curse words, sorry not sorry. Fashioned after how I wrote notes/diary entries to myself back when there was a thing in my life called free time.**

* * *

 **Thoughtless**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It was one moment. One spilt second of insanity that changed everything. I've gone over it a thousand times in my head, yet still I can't make sense of it. Today was not exactly an extraordinary day. It started the same as any other with classes too early and classmates too loud. I never expect Wednesdays to be exciting. It's the damn middle of the week—too late to mourn the previous weekend, yet too early to be dreaming of the next day free._

 _I attended classes as usual. Paid attention as best I could (though I must say my best has suffered recently). My intention was to snatch an early dinner and retreat to the comfort of my favorite chair in front of the fire before the Marauder's could claim the space. Homework, I think, was the target. That didn't last for much longer than it took me to get comfortable in the chair. Small wonder!_

 _I was minding my own business, waiting for Marlene and Mary to be done snogging their respective boyfriends when THEY showed up. Stubbornness is a trait I will eventually outgrow, I'm sure. After today, it seems wise to give this matter some attention._

 _There I was, minding my own damn business. Then all of the sudden, peace was no more and my bubble of contentedness turned into a prank-planning session ala Marauders style. Merlin, how can I tell them I don't mind their stupid pranks after so many years of shouting at them? I can't just bloody change my tune because it's our last year and I'm sick of fighting! I can't admit that Potter is bloody attractive and my blood sings every time he looks at me! I can't acknowledge how much he's changed in the last year, though I've damn sure noticed!_

 _I'm too stubborn for my own good, I think. Some days, I wish I hadn't professed hatred of him so thoroughly for the last six years. If I'd been a little less aggressive in my hatred, then perhaps I'd feel less like I was betraying myself by responding to his flirting. Hell, bastard doesn't even ask me out anymore. He just smiles and winks and flirts until I lose all sense of coherent thought and am left with no recourse but to pick a destination to which I should storm and get away before I can make a fool of myself. It's bloody exhausting. I want to just smile and flirt right back and see where it leads._

 _That damn desire is what got me into this mess. His friends are cunning and stupid and bloody irritating. They meandered off to their own pursuits one by one, and my stubborn butt refused to give up my prime spot by the fire even after Potter and I were alone. Gah. Alone with Potter. I shall strive to never repeat that mistake._

 _He apologized for their intrusion. APOLOGIZED! I didn't think he even knew what that was! Of course, I said exactly that because I simply can't help myself. He laughed (the dork) and then I laughed. And then I'm not quite sure what happened, because we were suddenly laughing and talking and teasing and flirting. Then it was midnight and we were both on the couch. He gave me a foot massage for all the years of torment. I really wasn't sure what to make of it. Hell, I'm still not sure what to make of it! But damn that boy gives a mean massage, and all the while we're talking about everything under the sun. And eventually, massage time is over and it's 2am and we're all tangled up and lounging and completely relaxed like we're the best of friends._

 _And then it happened. My psychotic break. I must be insane. There's no other way around it. I was just looking at him in the firelight and after everything we talked about… I know he still likes me, and so my idiot self decided to do something utterly moronic. I can't even bring myself to blame Potter, because I initiated it. I just leaned my idiot self over to him and kissed him! Me! Kiss James bloody Potter!_

 _And damn. That's all I'll say. Damn._

 _Merlin knows how long we were snogging. We were THOSE people. Laying on the couch in the common room snogging like we were the only people on the planet. Merlin. I am an idiot._

 _What's worse is that we didn't just finish with kissing. Oh no. We laughed and talked for hours afterwards too. It'd be one thing if the snogging had led to shagging. That transition is relatively natural. But snogging to deep philosophical conversations? That is something else entirely. That is the behavior of couples. Couples who've been together for ridiculously long times!_

 _Merlin._

 _Then at like 4am, we finally went to bed and he kissed me goodnight. It was so soft and so sweet and so…James. There was a piece of me that just wanted to follow him up to his bed and cuddle and talk more._

 _WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!?_

 _One stupid little slip. One damn thoughtless moment! He wouldn't have kissed me first! I know that. I really do. I've said no too many times for him to dare that initiative. But I made the first move! I was the one that kissed him! Merlin, how am I going to face him again? And not only the kiss but everything we talked about! I've not done that level of soul-searching…ever. I told him things I've never told anyone before, and I think he did the same. There's certainly a lot more to him than I ever realized. What am I going to do? If he asks me out, I won't be able to say no! Not after that! My resistance to his charm was already almost nothing, but after learning so much about him and his values and his heart? I'd be damn lucky to be his girl._

 _I'm so damn screwed._


	5. Perfection

**Prompt: [Item] Diary**

 **Characters: Lily Evans, James Potter**

 **Genre: Humor/Romance**

 **Rated: K+**

 **AN: This is loosely a tag-on to the last chapter. You could call it a two-shot if you want, but both chapters can stand alone. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Perfection**

 _Dear Diary,_

 _What the fuck is wrong with me? There it is in plain ink three months ago just like I thought. A solemn promise to myself to get over one, Lily Evans. I knew in my heart of hearts that she would not change her opinion of me. How could she? How could I ever expect her to have that level of forgiveness? Merlin, I wonder sometimes why she didn't go to McGonagall or Dumbledore to have my ass expelled. I would have deserved it if she had._

 _Of course, the heart doesn't always listen to reason, and I knew this year would be difficult. I'll admit I've watched her a bit too much. I know her habits and her quirks. I know she drinks her coffee black in the morning and has tea with a drop of cream and one sugar with lunch. She favors the treacle tart and despises roses. I know she considers acquirement of the sofas by the fire a victory every time. I still love the way she blushes with anger when we try to invade her space. It's a game we play. It's one I'm not willing to quit, even after giving her up._

 _Give her up! Ha! What a load of bull that was._

 _That game. That stupid little game that I can't bring myself to stop. I watched her as we sat in the remaining chair and couch. Her telltale signs of irritation—the thinning of her lips, the faint rosiness of her cheeks. That stubbornness of hers that made her stay despite Padfoot's outrageous prank. And then my idiot self staying. Waving the boys off, even though they swore to help me contain myself this year._

 _Then it was just us. Me, alone with Lily Evans. I could have said something stupid. She'd have expected that. I should have just asked her out and continued the futile chase. She'd have exploded, and I'd remember why I need to give her up. Instead, I found myself apologizing for my behavior for the entire time I've know her. So much less than what she deserves. Instead of shouting, she just sort of smiled at me and said that she was surprised I knew what an apology was. Lily Evans SMILED at me. Teased me without any hint of anger or affront._

 _Merlin._

 _I gave some sort of stupidly weak attempt at a joke—Merlin knows why she thought it was funny. But then the book went to the floor and her attention was mine. For the first time ever, she looked at me without a trace of hatred. Her eyes sparkled in the firelight and time simply ceased to exist._

 _We talked. We laughed. We spoke of hard things and light things. I told her things I've never dared to tell anyone before. And I know, no matter what happens, that my secrets are safe with that girl._

 _A joking comment led to a foot massage. I'd massage her feet for a thousand hours if she'd smile at me like that again._

 _Merlin, there's something wrong with me!_

 _I sincerely don't know how she came to be snuggled under my arm. I didn't even stop to think about in the moment. It felt so damn natural. And with all the things we were talking about, it just fit. Then, as I was fearing we were running out of things to say and this magical hour would be over as if it had never happened, she kissed me._

 _Lily Evans kissed me._

 _What the fuck. I mean really. She hates me. I know she does, and I know I've done everything in the world to deserve her hatred._

 _But her lips were so sweet, and she didn't bolt. I think in hindsight, it would have made sense. She was caught up in the moment just like me. It happened and she should have run for the hills._

 _But she didn't. Instead, we snogged for a while and picked up the conversation like it never was interrupted. HOURS we spent after that kiss talking. Going deeper into secrets than either of us meant to. Of course, the night was destined to end at some point. I wanted so desperately for the dream to not end. I wanted to believe that she finally saw something in me. Something worth loving._

 _Why did I kiss her? Hell, I know the answer to that, but why did she give me that look? I swear she likes me. I'd bet my wand on it just from the look in her eyes. But I'm wrong. I know I am. She may grow to tolerate me, but Lily is nothing if not stubborn. She'll never consent to a date or another kiss because of her own stubbornness._

 _If I know that, then why am I still hoping?_

 _Maybe today has something to do with it. I expected her to be frigid. Or to simply pretend like last night didn't happen. But when I walked by her in Transfiguration, she smiled at me. Shyly if I know her smiles at all. Like she remembers last night and isn't horrified. Padfoot tells me I'm reading too much into nothing. I should listen. I shouldn't dream._

 _But I love her. I don't want to lose her. But she's not mine to lose. Not yet. I haven't actually spoken to her again. I'm afraid to know what she'll say to me. I haven't the first clue of what to say to her. What can you say after baring your soul to someone who's not even technically a friend?_

 _All I want to say is this: Lily Evans, I am helplessly, hopelessly in love with you. But I know you'll never feel the same, and I respect that. I'll back off, let another man have you if only to see you smile. I wish you every happiness. James._

A knock on the door interrupted his writing. James didn't look up from the last words he wrote. Could he ever say it aloud? Would she believe him?

"Po—James." He jumped a foot, nearly falling from the chair at the sound of her voice. He slammed his diary shut with far too much force.

"L-Lily!" He gasped, voice squeaking out an octave too high.

"I'm sorry for intruding." She apologized, face colored with a beautiful blush. "But I thought we should talk."

"I thought you'd hate me." James blurted without thinking. "I mean—"

"No, I'm sorry." Lily held out a hand to forestall him. "I don't hate you. I mean, I did obviously. But I don't. Not anymore."

"Oh?" He couldn't manage anything more intelligent. Lily Evans was standing in his bedroom, flushed and just slightly haggard. It was…hot. And terribly distracting.

"I thought…" She faltered, taking a deep breath. "I thought we could be friends." Lily finished in a rush, staring at him with wide eyes like she couldn't believe her own words.

"Friends?" James repeated. Merlin, that hurt.

"If you don't want—"

"I want." He cut her off, biting down on the rest of his words. _I want you to know I love you._ James swallowed hard. "Friends."

"Yes."

"Lily." Her blush intensified. She was mute as he rose, staring at him with wide eyes. "Friends." He repeated, like saying it again would make it enough. But it wasn't nearly enough. She had to know that.

James threw caution to the wind because he didn't want her as a friend. It was all or nothing. He caught her face between his hands, ducking to press his lips to her mouth. She stiffened for a moment, but even as James was thinking this was a mistake, she relaxed. She returned his kiss with interest, pressing against him and wrapping her arms around his neck. It was enough encouragement for him to wrap an arm around her waist.

It was perfection.

But it wasn't real. She only wanted to be friends. As much as it hurt, James pulled back from the kiss. He kept her close, though, wanting to drag out the minutes of her standing in his arms.

"I can't be friends with you." He whispered. "I want so much more than that, Lily."

"James." A tremor ran through her, and he nearly pulled back. The very last thing he wanted was to make her feel like he was forcing her. "Okay."

"Okay, what?" James pulled back, frowning in confusion.

"Okay." Lily repeated like it was perfectly obvious. He spent a moment just looking at her, trying to intuit what she meant.

"I…what?" He repeated, hoping he wasn't ruining something.

"Okay." She said again. "I'll go out with you."

"You'll _what?_ " James barked, jerking back. "Did you just…?"

"Weren't you asking?" Lily blinked, bewildered by his reaction.

"You hate me!" James protested. "I know that. I was going to let you…go." He blinked a few times, processing her words. "Are you serious?"

"I was." She said cautiously.

"Are you still?" His heart took off and panic nearly took over. "Please just one chance! Just one! I swear—"

"James." Lily reached for him on her own volition, catching his shoulders to steady him. "You win."

He couldn't trust himself to speak. He caught her up in his arms and kissed her. Desperate to believe this wasn't just a dream. _How_ it happened didn't matter. Lily Evans agreed to go out with him. James wasn't one to question the particulars of the matter. He was dizzy with realization and delight.

Lily smiled her Lily-smile with the very beginnings of love glowing in her eyes. It was more than enough for James. He was floating on air, and nothing, not even an impending war, could bring him down.


End file.
